Substance Abuse Paper

The rising drug and alcohol problem proves to be an issue both locally and nationally, with a lasting detrimental impact on the individual and society as a whole. A health disparity report from Healthiest Wisconsin 2020 reports, “In 2011, Wisconsin ranked first in the nation for both heavy drinking and binge drinking among adults” (Wisconsin Department of Health Services, slide 14). Drug and alcohol abuse are a concern to this population due to the detrimental impacts to both the individual and the surrounding individuals. For instance, alcohol abuse can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, alcohol dependence, and cause anomalies to the fetus if the mother drinks excessively during her pregnancy. Overall, those who choose to abuse drugs and alcohol

Alcoholics Anonymous is a support group established to help, support, encourage men and women suffering from alcohol addiction. This group is anonymous and volunteer based where people from different race, gender, and socioeconomic status share their stories of substance addictions. Based on the dynamics, this addiction has no prejudice. Many people are unaware that alcohol is a depressant in which slows down one's motor skills and the ability to think rational. This inability can lead to the person harming themselves and others. Many alcoholics used this drug as a way of coping with depression, stress, or loses. This support group will enable the attendees to become open with their addiction, explore other option, and eventually cease this

According to Emily Guarnotta, who holds a doctorate degree in clinical psychology, “Alcohol appears to be the most widely abused substance among Native Americans” (Guarnotta). In addition, the percentage of lifetime alcohol use in Native Americans is nearly 72% according to Corrine O’Keefe Osborne, an award-winning journalist who focuses on psychology and addiction. Guarnotta continued to explain that any “[...] economic issues, cultural loss, domestic abuse, and physical and mental health issues [...]” could possibly contribute to the higher risk of alcoholism in Native Americans (Guarnotta). Out of all issues the most important is cultural loss, which has contributed to high rates of alcoholism in Native Americans. Their culture was threatened after Europeans colonized the United States. Throughout this transition, Guarnotta believes Native Americans lost “[...] family members and tribes, land, and traditions” (Guarnotta). Some spectators believe the brutality and loss they experienced led to historical trauma. This grief has affected each generation since Native Americans were separated from their land. The development of the negative coping mechanism of drinking was a result they’ve been encountering ever since the Europeans colonized and stripped their

Keep in mind that there are differing ethnicities within the races that we claim. For example, there are not just Asians, there are Chinese and Koreans that have different percentages of addiction for each. This is important to point out so that we take into consideration the diversity that exists within regular terms. Amongst men and women, men were reported to be the highest drug users, while drug use in LGBT populations presents no conclusive evidence of rates in substance abuse. However, some evidence seems to suggest that the LGBT population in particular are higher drug users then the rest of the population. This is likely because LGBT people face more discrimination in life which leads to shame and depression and then addiction to escape the pain. This chapter also points out that denial and secrecy commonly characterize alcoholism and drug abuse in all populations. Drug use in mental illness happen because people start to self treat what they think is wrong with them, then this leads to addiction. Alcohol rates in diverse populations very a lot in different races. When it comes to treatment and recovery in the different diverse populations there are many ways to recovering them that suits their

Attempting to treat individuals that have alcohol related issues requires a depth of knowledge and skill, specifically, when providing care to individuals of differentiating ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The National on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) article discusses a multitude of resourceful information that is related to ethnicity, culture, and alcohol. Procuring detailed information that defines and discusses ethnicity, race, culture, cultural identification, ethnoculturally competence, and cultural competence provides a solid foundation for the beginner, intermediate, and expert clinician reading this material. This paper explores and offers an explanation of the author’s efforts to convey a clear, compelling and cogent message, the NIAAAs use of relevant sources to substantiate perspectives assumed, claims made and positions taken, and recommended strategies regarding suggested improvements to this article.

Drinking pattern does differ by race and ethnicity in the United States. Our book discusses the difference between Irish, Italians, French, Asia & Native Americans, Hispanics, and African American. Studies show that African Americans have higher rates of alcoholism than whites do. This conclusion is due to the lack of research on drinking pattern amongst blacks (Lex, 1985; Sterne, 1967). Evidence also show that white women has a lower rate of alcoholism than black women, yet African American women have a higher abstain rate (Harper and Saifnoorian, 1991). Most African American males don’t encounter with alcohol related problems until about their 30’s. Seen in a study by Herd’s (1990) it revealed that is was some similar patterns between white and blacks as well as differences. White were found to do more

Nina Mulia, Dr.P.H, Yu Ye, Sarah Zemore, and Thomas Greenfield (2008), conducted a study examining the adverse health effects of social disadvantage on minority populations. The researchers sought to find out if said adverse health effects led to alcohol problems. In their study, they focus on social disadvantage as a source of stress and analyze its association with alcohol use and problems in the three largest racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Mulia et al. (2008) collected date from 6,631 white, black, and Hispanic Americans using information from the 2005 U.S. National Alcohol Survey, a nationally representative telephone-based survey of adults ages 18 and older. The researchers accounted for social disadvantages by measuring poverty level, frequency of unfair treatment, racial/ethnic stigma consciousness, and cumulative disadvantage. For this study, Mulia et al. (2008) administered 1-hour telephone interview surveys in English or Spanish depending on the preference of the respondent. Included in the effects were drinking status, at-risk drinking, and problem drinking. The results of the study showed that blacks and Hispanics were exposed to more social disadvantages than whites. Blacks and Hispanics reported greater exposure to poverty, unfair treatment, racial/ethnic stigma, and cumulative disadvantage. There

A common stereotype about African American men is that they are engage in drug abuse a disproportionate way which it’s not true because according to statistics from the US department of Health and Human services that although eight percent of African American males cocaine, eleven percent of whites have use the same drug. This is, however, not the impression that we get from watching the evening local news or even an episode of television program COPS.

There are reports that there is a problem with binge drinking among college students; approximately 80%–85% of college students have used alcohol, with approximately 40%–45% being classified as binge drinkers. Native Americans are more likely than other groups to binge drink; 32.8% of American Indian/Alaska Native adults binge drink in comparison to 23.4% of whites. Native American youth have reported higher rates of lifetime and recent alcohol use in comparison with those from other racial/ethnic backgrounds. Many colleges have manditory alcohol awarness courses for incoming

Substance abuse and alcoholism within an ethnic minority, like Native Americans, and an ethnic majority are significant issues facing our country. Regardless of race, these two ailments can lead to the onset of depression, suicide, and mental health disorders. When it comes to alcohol consumption, Native Americans demonstrate some of the highest percentages regarding heavy drinking and alcoholism, but both Native American and white Americans exceed the recommended rates of consumption. The differences between the causes, effects, and rates of substance abuse often influence mental health status and access to mental healthcare, making this issue one that requires discussion. The consequences that arise from unequal access increase costs for mental health care, making it even more challenging to receive preventative care and/or treatment in indigenous

Substance abuse including drugs, alcohol, or both is combined with an area of devastating social conditions, including family separation, financial problems, lost capacity, failing in school, domestic violence, child abuse, and crime. Furthermore, both social characters and legal responses to the use of alcohol and drugs make substance abuse one of the most complicated public health issues. Understanding these aspects is key to lowering the number of people who

Many sociological studies fail to provide an accurate picture of substance abuse in a society for a number of reasons. In treatment or survey interviews, substance abusing individuals frequently misrepresent or misreport their frequency of use. Those living in poverty are often more transient in their housing than those of middle and upper classes and may, therefore, be excluded from many types of household surveys. Often, statistical information is gathered from treatment facilities; however facilities do not all report into a national database and a large number of addicts never seek services. One final problem with the validity of studies involving substance abuse and poverty is the isolation, in many studies, of one or more drugs. Many researchers have focused on drugs, such as crack-cocaine or heroin and not marijuana or powder cocaine (Jacobson and Ensminger, 2011). While it is difficult to obtain valid data on the actual rate and incidence of substance abuse in poverty ridden communities, researchers have been able to isolate some negative effects of substance abuse and correlate them to socio-economic status.

A rising number of African American single mothers use marijuana for recreational purposes even as it continues to be illegal in some states in America. Substance abuse particularly marijuana is becoming a challenge to practitioners and social workers in the African American society more so among the low-income families (Makward & Yegidis, 2011). The study and understanding of marijuana use among single women is significant because it is usually accompanied by Post-Traumatic stress disorder (PSTD), depression, and general anxiety disorder (GAD). While marijuana may be used for other significant purposes, a majority of people abuse it or use it for unintended purposes. Abuse of marijuana is rampant among low-income single women compared to financially

The alcoholic beverage has remained an established element to society’s social world and has grown into a way of living. As alcohol continues to flourish in its prevalence among citizens of the United States, so does the concept of alcohol addiction. A person becomes addicted to alcohol when they “drink excessively and develops a dependence that results in noticeable mental disturbance, or an interference with bodily and mental health, their interpersonal relations, and their smooth social and economic functioning” (Calahan, 1970, pp. 3). In 2009, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that about 52% of Americans used alcohol at least once within 30 days of their survey. As the percentage of Americans who consume alcohol

The purpose of the study was to evaluate numerous factors as predictors of three alcohol use patters: cessation, reduction and no reduction. The participants were chosen from several groups such as: sociodemographic, health history, health behavior and psychosocial factors (Kitsantas, Gaffney, Wu, & Kastella, 2013). With a whopping number of 311,428 participants; 10.6% of women were 19 years old or younger, 75.7% were between the ages of 20-34 years old and 13.7% were 35 years of age or older. 62% were white non-Hispanic, 16% were black non-Hispanic and 3.3% were Hispanic. Nearly 63% were married. 18.8% had less than high school education and 28.1% had at least 16 years of education (Kitsantas, Gaffney, Wu, & Kastella, 2013).